


I Ka'īʻana Aloha (Saying ‘Bye’)

by MythicRhyvon



Series: Ka Momi O Home (The Journey Home) [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), NCIS
Genre: Breaking Up & Making Up, Broken Friendships, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Moving On, Rare Pairings, Tony DiNozzo Leaves NCIS Team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 23:52:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11196081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythicRhyvon/pseuds/MythicRhyvon
Summary: Our two favorite boys head to DC to finally finish moving Tony to Hawaii. While there, Steve gets to witness some the atrocious behavior of his partner’s former teammates.  Despite that, some friendships remain strong, and others are strengthened. Takes place two weeks after Ka Wā Hoʻokahi Puka e Pani (When One Door Closes). *Sequel now posted*





	I Ka'īʻana Aloha (Saying ‘Bye’)

I Ka'īʻana Aloha (Saying ‘Bye’)

 

               The flight was long- nearly ten hours in total, and took them until just after nine pm, East Coast Time. It would be just after three pm back in Hawaii, but they’d arrived at the airport at three am and both were feeling the time zone difference. Tony had splurged on first class tickets and so he and Steve had their own little section, complete with a curtain blocking them from the isle. He hadn’t expected the other man to want to come with him, but Steve had laid down a series of less and less subtle hints that he was waiting for Tony to invite him that he’d finally given in and put him out of his misery. Despite the relative niceness of first class, both men were happy when they finally touched down in an environment much more gloomy in nature than the one they’d just left.

               Jimmy had offered to pick them up from the airport, but Tony has assured him that they could make it just fine by cab. He’d get his car out of storage the next morning and they’d drive that until they loaded it into a shipping container just before it was time to board the plane back home. Thanks to the later hour, the cab made good time and they arrived at his building just twenty minutes after leaving the airport.

               Tony thanked the cabby and then pulled himself out of the car. Steve stepped up next to him as he was stretching and together they made their way up. He didn’t know what made the process of travel so exhausting, but he was ready to collapse into bed and sleep for the next twelve hours.

               He started to unlock his door when he realized it wasn’t locked at all. He knew Jimmy wouldn’t have forgot to lock up when he’d left and was immediately on high alert. His hand once again reached for the gun that wasn’t there and he bit back the sigh of annoyance. Steve carefully set his duffle bag down to free up his own hands. His carry on was all he brought and so he wasn’t carrying either, not wanting the hassle that occurred when bringing any kind of weapon onto a commercial plane.

               Tony turned the handle slowly and pushed the door open silently. It shouldn’t have surprised him as much as it did to see Abby and McGee sitting on his couch and watching TV. His annoyance immediately skyrocketed. “What the hell are you two doing here?” He demanded, voice coated in dismayed disbelief. 

               Both jumped and something clattered to the floor. “Tony!” Abby squealed, as she jumped up and scuttled across the room to engulf him in a hug. Tony stiffened and patted her on the back, but make no move to actually return the embrace.

               She pulled back suddenly and slapped him across the face. Her hand left a stinging imprint on his cheek and he heard Steve let out a low growl-like noise behind him. She raised her hand to strike him again, but he caught her wrist in a tight grip. “Don’t hit me again.” He commanded, voice made of ice.

               Her eyes filled with angry tears at his tone and she raised her other hand to try again. Tears began to trickle down her face when he caught that one too. “How could you do this?” She demanded. “How can you just abandon your family?”

               Tony looked at her incredulously before tipping his head back slightly with a hysterical laugh bubbling to the surface.  “Abandon my family Abbs, really?” He pushed her hands away and she took a step back with the movement.

               “Well what would you call it?” She demanded, sounding angry again, arms crossed. McGee was standing uncomfortably in front of the couch, watching the scene with wide eyes.

               He looked back at her. “How did you get in my apartment, Abby?” He asked firmly, changing the subject.

               “Gibbs gave me your key.”

               “Gibbs gave you my key.” He repeated, deadpanned. She looked away. “Right. How did you get in here?”

               “Ok, I borrowed you key from Gibbs, but Tony,!”

               “No Abby. You stole my spare key from Gibbs so that you could break into my apartment and wait to assault me?” He shook his head again, hand raising to run through his hair. “What do you want, Abby? Why are you here?”

               She hunched over for a second with his words, before visibly straightening herself, stubborn expression back in place. “I didn’t steal your key, I borrow it.” She insisted first. “And I didn’t come here to _assault_ you.” She spat the word, voice petulant. “But you can’t do this, Tony! You can’t abandon us, you can’t abandon Gibbs. He needs you!” He started to interject, but she talked over the top of him and he clenched his jaw instead. “And to what? To move to Hawaii? That’s so selfish!” Her foot stomped slightly with the last word.

               “Selfish?” He repeated, finally able to speak. His brow raised as she responded.

               “Yes! Gibbs needs you, you can just leave.”

               “Actually, I can. See, you seem to have forgotten this, but Gibbs was my superior- not my owner. And I am not abandoning anyone. I accepted a promotion that is based in Hawaii- no, please, hold your congratulations.” His voice was darkly sarcastic.

               “Why would I congratulate you for leaving us? The team’s been on cold cases since you left. No one want’s to be the new SFA and Vance said they can’t in the field until they replace you! Gibbs is really angry!”

               “Look- I’m sorry that the team is benched, but that’s not my problem anymore. Maybe if Gibbs tried to actually act like a human, someone would want to work for him, but I’m not coming back Abby.” His voice was firm.

               “You have to!”

               He sighed harshly, dropping his head to pinch the bridge of his nose. “We are not going to keep going in circles. You want to know why I left?” He demanded, looking back up at her squarely. “I was planning to leave NCIS before I was offered this promotion. _I was leaving regardless_ \- because I refuse to work with a team that I can’t trust to have my six. And honestly? I don’t blame the other agents for not wanting to join such a toxic team.”

               “What?!” She demanded loudly. “Of course, they have your six! They’re your team!” 

               Tony laughed again, more bitterly this time. He shook his head and ran another hand through his mussed hair. “When I was getting voice prints, my ‘ _team’_ turned off my com and left me without backup. We were hunting a known serial killer. I could have been bleeding out on the floor and no one would have known.” His words were blunt and cold.

               “That was just a joke!” She defended. “Nothing happened.”

               “Nothing happened this time. But I’m not willing to put my life in the hands of people who have already shown a potentially lethal disregard for my wellbeing. And _you_ , Abby? You tampered with evidence to cover up what they did. You do even realize how much trouble you could be in for that?” 

               “Timmy and Ziva could have gotten fired because of a stupid joke. That’s not fair.” She defended again, glairing.

               “You could go to jail!” He exclaimed, gesturing harshly. She stepped back, looking as if he struck her.

               “But nothing happened!” She repeated again, voice slightly lower. “They shouldn’t get fired over nothing.”

               “What they did is punishable for a reason! Their behavior could have gotten a teammate killed in the field. Since Gibbs obviously won’t step up as team lead, it was my job as Senior Field Agent to make sure that behavior did not happen again. But, instead of letting me do my job, you **broke the law** covering it up so that they didn’t have to face the consequence of their actions. If your tampering was discovered, it could get the whole case tossed out as a mistrial. You put protecting their egos over my life and safety and over that of the case.”

               Her eyes filled again. “It wasn’t like that.” She whispered.

               “How wasn’t it?”

               She shook her head and reached up to rub her face. He allowed the silence to continue, broken only by her sniffles. She finally looked up again, only then seeming to realize he wasn’t alone. “Who’s your bodyguard?” The snide edge crept back into her voice as her eyes ran him over, and it was pretty clear the line of her thoughts.

               Tony glanced behind himself. Steve was standing at his right shoulder, legs apart and arms crossed over his chest. His muscles were bulging and his jaw obviously clenched as he stared at her with icy, narrowed eyes. He looked the part of the bodyguard, he realized, a small flash of amusement breaking through his annoyance.  Tony was grateful he hadn’t tried to involve himself directly, but rather took up a stance of support.

               “Partner, actually.” He felt a flash of pride at being able to say that again. “And any other time I have been happy to introduce you to him. As it is, I’d like you to get out of my apartment.”

               A couple more tears broke through and fell down her cheeks. He honestly wasn’t sure if they were actual tears or just more attempts at manipulating him. He realized then that he didn’t care. Her being upset no longer affected him as it once would have. There was a time that seeing her cry would have had him jumping to make whatever it was better. Back when NCIS still did feel like a family. Back when Kate was still alive and he actually looked forward to going to work. That urge was no longer there and it felt like yet another weight off his shoulders. “But Tony,” She tired again.

               “No buts.” He said, voice final. He turned back to the door, ducked out to grab Steve’s bag and then held it pointedly open for them. “Look, I’ll come and see you before I leave and we can finish hashing this all out if you want. For right now, _get out_.” He stated firmly when neither of them moved. It was McGee that finally did, seeming to break himself from his frozen state. He shuffled over to Abby and grabbed her arm. She tried to pull back from him at first, but he was firm in grabbing her elbow and leading her to the door.

               He paused in front of Tony and looked like he wanted to say something. His mouth opened but nothing came out. He closed it a second later and turned to leave silently, eyes downcast. “Wait,” he commanded. They both turned to him hopefully, but all’s he did was hold out a hand. “Key.” He demanded simply.

“But it’s Gibbs’ key.” Abby argued weakly, knowing she’d have to face up to the man in question when he realized one of his keys was missing- and he would realize it eventually.

“No, it’s my key, and I don’t think the new tenant will appreciate a stranger with a penchant for breaking in, having free access to their new apartment.” She pulled it meekly from her pocket and dropped it in his hand. The door closed with a snap and the resulting silence in the apartment was resounding.

Tony allowed himself to slump then, reaching up to rub his sore cheek. He felt more than heard Steve walk up to stand behind him and he sighed quietly. “I’m sorry about all that.” He said softly. “Not exactly how I was planning for tonight to go.”

Soft lips pressed to his temple. “None of that was your fault.” Steve stated. “Her behavior was completely out of line and I’m sorry _you_ had to deal with that.” He paused for a second before continuing quieter. “You didn’t tell me about any of that.”

Tony shrugged. “It wasn’t important.” He looked up to see Steve’s lips purse, but was grateful when he apparently decided to let it go for the moment. Tony glanced around the mostly packed apartment, really taking it in for the first time. They’d done a good job and it would be easier for the movers to haul everything out. “So, my bed here is pretty small, but what do you say we call it a night and start fresh tomorrow?” He asked.

At the other mans nod, he led him to the closed bedroom door. Everything was exactly how he left it and it was clear no one had been in this particular room since he flew out. They both preformed their night time absolutions and then curled tightly together on the Full bed. “You weren’t kidding about having a small bed.” Steve remarked as they shifted to get comfortable.

“I don’t normally bring people here, so there’s no need for a bigger bed.”

Steve didn’t respond verbally, but his grip around his waist tightened and they both quickly dropped off to sleep.

~*~*~*~

Both men woke around four am the next day. The rose, dressed and set off on a run together to get themselves energized for the day. It was still dark, save for the streetlights, and a light drizzle was falling. The brisk air quickly began to sting Tony’s lungs and he felt ten times as exerted as he’d gotten used to in warm, sunshiny weather. If Steve noticed his slower pace and heavier footfalls, he didn’t say, but he did slow his own strides to match Tony’s. And if Tony cut their run shorter than normal, he didn’t mention it.

When they got back, Tony pushed Steve towards the bathroom, saying he’d get coffee started and then take his own shower. As soon as he heard the sounds of Steve stepping under the spray, he grabbed his phone and dialed.

“Dr. Pitt.” A male voice stated pleasantly.

“Brad, hey, it’s Tony.”

“Tony, hey! Haven’t heard from you in a while, how have you been?”

“I’ve been good, really good actually. But hey, look, I know this is a lot to ask, but I’m actually moving to Hawaii and I’m only back in the city until tomorrow night. Is there any way you could fit me in for a checkup before I fly back out? I’d also like it if you could recommend anyone out on the islands that I could follow up with?”

“You’re moving to Hawaii?” Brad replied, sounding a bit surprised.

“Yeah, I, uh, got offered a promotion out that way.”

“Congratulations!” He exclaimed. “That’s great news! And I’ve been telling you for years a dryer environment would do wonders for you pulmonary function.”

“You were right. I’ve been there for a month already and I feel a million times better.”

“That’s fantastic, I’m really happy to hear that. It looks like I have an opening at 9:00, could you make that?”

Tony glanced at the clock on the coffee pot. It was just after six. “I’ll be there.”

“We’ll get some X-Ray’s too, make sure you’re in top shape.”

“Great. Thanks for doing this.”

“No problem at all, I’ll see you soon.”

“See you.” He hit the start button on the coffee pot he’d been messing with and then grabbed his phone down from his ear and set it on the counter just as the shower turned off. He shook his head- he wasn’t exactly known for long showers himself, but Steve was quick almost to the point of ridiculousness.

Tony turned and leaned back on the counter to wait. Steve appeared a minute later, pulling a clean shirt over his head. He enjoyed watching the flex of muscles while they were visible. He must have made a face when the flesh was covered because when he looked up Steve was smirking at him with a brow raised. “See something you like?” He teased, moving forward.

Tony allowed his eyes to roam the entirety of Steve- beginning at his hair, his entire face and then zigzagging down his body leisurely. He hummed. “A whole lot of somethings.” He finally said, lips quirking as Steve came to a stop right in front of him.

Steve smiled back, leaning down to catch his lips in a kiss. “Go shower.” He ordered a second later. “I’ll finish the coffee.”

“Mmmm.” He hummed again. “I like that you smell like me.” He leaned in for another kiss. Steve allowed it and then pushed him away with a laugh.

“Go on, you, we have a lot to do.”

A half hour later the two were making their way to a little café down the street, there not being any fresh food in the apartment for breakfast. They ate together at a small table in front of the window, feet pressing together in the middle.

After, they leisurely made their way back to the apartment to start working. Just before eight, Tony mentioned running out to get the car and do some errands. Steve offered to go with him, but Tony asked if he would mind staying and getting the cloths packed up. “The movers are going to be here at eleven and it would be a huge help if you could get that part done.” His voice was dipping dangerously close to pleading.

“Alright, I’ll stay and pack up your cloths,” he acquiesced. “But I don’t understand why you need so many damned suits.” He said in disgust, looking at the two piles of them that had been moved to lie neatly across the bed.

Tony laughed and moved to press a kiss against the taller mans’ jaw. “Don’t knock my suits. Those are part of my soul.” He joked, pulling out his phone to call for a cab.

He set off ten minutes later and directed the cabby to his storage unit nearby his apartment. They arrived quickly and he punched in the security code to open the large garage-like door. His car was the only thing inside the temperature controlled box and he had plenty of room to move around it and check it over before he set off. It may have been in pretty nice condition, body sleek black and flawless, but it was still a classic car and could still be temperamental.

Satisfied, he climbed in the driver seat. It rumbled easily to life and Tony allowed himself a small smile at the sound. He drove through the open door, stopping on the other side to shut it, and then drove up to the storage office. He went inside to cancel his automatic renewal and was quickly on his way.

He headed to Bethesda first, knowing he might get stuck in traffic along the way. He arrived at a quarter to nine and was taken into a room minutes later. Brad ambled in at two past, Tony’s familiar chart in hand. The two made small talk as Brad set about his examination- listening to his lungs, running him through some breathing exercises and then bringing in the portable x-ray machine. He took the images himself, and then pulled them up on the screen, along with the results of his last x-ray, to show Tony right then.

Tony had grown pretty familiar with scared up abominations living in his body, and so was surprised to see them actually looking more normal. Brad was smiling as well as he began pointing at specific points on the image. “The scarring will never go fully away, but as  you can see, your lungs are much less inflamed and there is less pulmonary edema than at your last exam. You said you’ve been feeling a lot better?”

“Oh yeah. I almost feel like I’m back to my old self. I’m able to run farther, at a faster pace that I have been since before the plague. I did overdo it one day and it took about ten minutes to get it back under control, but that was the only bad day and I was back to normal within an hour or so.”

“That’s fantastic. Everything looks good, your lungs are going great.” He moved over to the computer in the room and punched some stuff into the computer. When he came back he was pulling a business card out of Tony’s paper folder. “You said you were wanting a recommendation for a new physician in Hawaii?” At Tony’s nod, he handed him the card. “Doctor Kaleo Pauahi is a pulmonologist who works out of Straub Medical Center in Honolulu.  He’s a fantastic physician and has studied the long term effects that the plague and things like it have on the body. I’d feel comfortable turning your care over to him. I can put in a referral and have your records faxed over if you’d like.” He finished.

“I’m sold.” Tony said back. “That would be great, thank you.”

Brad nodded and glanced at his watch. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” He asked.

“No, you’ve been awesome. Thanks again for seeing me on such short notice.”

“No trouble at all.” He replied, as they shook hands. “And if you ever find yourself in need of a physician back here I’d be happy to take back over your care.” Tony smiled at him appreciatively and then headed to the door.

That done, he headed to his bank to facilitate the transferring of his money to the account he’d set up back on the island. After, he swung by a nearby U-Haul store to get some more boxes and then headed home just after ten.

When he arrived, Steve had all of his suits packed, and the remainder of his cloths folded and ready for boxes. Between the two of them, they were able to get the rest of his bedroom packed and the boxes moved to the living room with the rest before the movers arrived. Once they did, they quickly and efficiently cleared out the boxes, assuring him that they would arrive at his new home in Hawaii within a week.

The piano mover was due to arrive at one, so they called for a pizza and started deep cleaning the mostly cleared apartment. By three, the only things that remained in the apartment were those that were staying, a carry-on suitcase for Tony to last him, Steve’s duffle bag, and the bedding that he would strip before they left. Breena’s brother Josh, along with Breena and Jimmy, arrived at four.

Tony answered the door with a smile, accepting the hug from Breena and the half hug from Jimmy. He shook Josh’s hand and then introduced all three of them to Steve. Jimmy and Breena settled into easy conversation with Steve, while Tony gave Josh a tour of the apartment. He’d checked into what apartments in the building rented for- being unfamiliar with the rates since he owned his. He’d been informed that, thanks to the prime location within DC, units went from $2,000 to about $2,800 depending on the size.

When they were finished with the tour and standing in the relative privacy of the kitchen, they began talking about the details. Tony was someone who believed in being upfront about details. He wasn’t trying to make money off of rent and knew how trying a divorce could be financially. He told Josh how much the apartments rented for, but continued on to say that, since he owned his outright and did not have to try and cover the mortgage on it, he would rent to him for $1500 a month- way below market value. He also let him know that, due to the unpredictable nature of his work schedule, utilities and cable were payed up six months in advance, but that he would have to take them over when that time frame ended.

Knowing all of that, he wanted Josh to fully understand that he would be in Hawaii, so if something happened or needed to be fixed, he wouldn’t be able to handle it directly. He’d pay for any necessary repairs, but would need Josh to be able to coordinate that kind of stuff in his absence. Josh was thrilled with the offer. He’d owned his home before the divorce and so was familiar with all the issues that could crop up unexpectedly.

The shook on the deal, both very satisfied, and Tony promised he’d have his lawyer draw up the contract so they could sign it the next day and let him know he could move in any time after five pm, when they would head to the airport to catch their plane back home. Tony was happy that the income would pay for his new mortgage, and that it had gotten taken care of so quickly, and Josh was happy that he was getting such a great deal. They rejoined the three still in the living room and headed out as a group to dinner, bar Josh, who had another engagement to get to.

Though Tony had promised Jimmy and Breena the option of where they ate, both deferred back to him on the grounds it was his last night in the city and he should get to decide where they ate. He settled a jazz bar that also served fantastic food just a few minutes from his apartment. It was a warm space, done up in wood paneling and soft lighting, and often had live music playing. Tony’d spent a lot of time there over the years, and would enjoy a last visit before he left. On the way, Jimmy asked if Tony would mind Ducky coming. He didn’t, of course, and they agreed to meet him there.

They decided to wait for the older man before entering, and stood under the cover catching up and making small talk. When Ducky arrived, the first thing he did was pull Tony into a hug. “Oh, my dear boy. Congratulations on your promotion!” He stated proudly, pulling back and clasping him on the shoulders.

Tony smiled at the man that had been what he imagined a grandfather might be like. “Thanks, Duck.” He replied, grateful his voice came out normal. He’d been pretty well counting on Jimmy and Breena’s support, but hadn’t been too sure about anyone else. Abby had made her stance clear enough, and McGee had kept his silence, so Tony had pretty well written off any support from him. Having Ducky’s support, as he’d had for years, was a weight off his shoulders.

“Of course, of course,” He said, brushing off the thanks, before he continued his train of thought as they moved inside as a group. “Though we will miss your visits to autopsy. You know, I went to Hawaii once, many years ago… It was the summer of 1967, I believe. No, it must have been ’68.” He mused. “Well, no matter. Absolutely beautiful place. I met a lady friend there named Lynnea…”

~*~*~*~

               An hour quickly turned to two as the group enjoyed the conversation and atmosphere. Tony found himself leaning against Steve slightly, listening to the story currently being told with a small, unconscious smile on his face. He felt warm from the combination of good friends and good scotch, and was reluctant for the night to come to an end.

               They all agreed to have one more round before breaking up for the night. Tony offered to get them, saying he needed to visit the restroom anyway and would stop at the bar on his way back. He did his business and was washing his hands when the door opened and the last person he expected to see entered the room. Ziva, wearing a slinky black sleeveless dress that hugged her toned and voluptuous body and showcased her attributes.

               “Ziva?” He stated, shocked at her entry into the men’s room, though perhaps he shouldn’t have been. “What are you doing here?”

               “Tony.” She moved closer, looking up at him through her eyelashes. Her hair was down and Tony would be the first to admit she looked good. Still, he was definitely suspicious of her behavior. She walked slowly up to him, swaying her hips as she moved. When she reached him, she trailed a finder from his mid-chest up to his neck.

               He shook his head, stepping back and out of her reach. He grabbed a paper towel and quickly dried his hands. Once satisfied, he moved back to the door and held it open for her. She crossed her arms with a pout. “Can’t we talk for a minute?” She asked, voice low.

               “We can… Just not in the men’s room.” He stated firmly, gesturing for her to go out into the hallway. She finally moved forward, but made sure to brush fully against his front when she passed him. He followed behind her and then turned to her with his own arms crossed when they were both in the much more neutral environment of the semi-private hallway. “What do you want, Ziva?” He asked.

               “I would have thought that was obvious.” She pouted, moving closer to him again. He held a hand up to stop her progression and her eyes flashed briefly with frustration before she covered it. “Come now, Tony.” She continued, tilting her head to expose the long, slender line of her neck. “We both know we’ve been working towards this for years.” Her voice dropped further still and he had to strain to hear what she was saying. “Do you really want to leave without knowing what it’s like? Without knowing how good we could be together?”

               Tony watched her, a sardonic smile twisting his lips. An aborted chuckle broke his silence and he shook his head at her. “I know exactly how good we’d be together.” Her lashes fluttered again at the comment. “Which is to say, not at all. Do you want to know why, or do you want me to leave it at that?”

               She pouted again and moved closer still. “I disagree. I think we’d be very good together. Like peanut butter and bread.”

               “The expression is peanut butter and jelly, but yours actually probably works better.” He tilted his own head in thought. “Because I know you, Ziva. I know how manipulative you are, I know you thrive on twisting men around to do your bidding. I know your daddy issues are even bigger than mine, and your issues with men in general boarder on psychotic.” He shook his head. “I mean, honestly. Do you even know what you want? Or are you so used to using your body to manipulate men that it was the next logical step for you, coming here? What are you expecting to happen? Do you think we’ll fall into bed together and it’ll be so amazing that I’ll give up my promotion and stay here with you in DC? Fall back into line and keep living the same life I have been?” He shook his head again.

               “I’m happy, Ziva. I’m looking forward to starting my new job, looking forward to living in Hawaii. I’m seeing someone I think might actually be the one for me. We’re happy together, honestly happy, not just manipulating each other to make ourselves happy.”

               She cut in, starting to look angry. “You’re lying. You wouldn’t have found someone like that so soon. You forget, I know you too, having a different woman every weekend, never with the same one twice.” She sneered.

               “I’m sure when Abby tracked my cell and told you where I was, she mentioned meeting my partner.”

               “She said your new partner accompanied you to help you move. I assumed she meant your new work partner.” She replied stiffly.

               “Ah, no. Partner in the biblical sense. And not new so much as renewed...”

               “She said the person she met was a man.” Ziva pressed.

               “Very much so.”

               “You are not _okhel batachat_!” She spat the words like a curse.

               “Uh, not sure what exactly that means.”

               “You do not lie with men!”

               “Yafealu, fi alwaqie. wa'anah yatamatae kathiraan jidanaan...” A familiar and very welcome voice rumbled behind him. [He does, actually. And he very much enjoys it.] Steve came to a stop next to Tony. “I was wondering what was taking so long,” He said, direction his attention to the other man. “I guess this explains it.”

               “Yeah, sorry, got delayed.” He smiled up at the man before looking back at the fuming woman before him. “Ziva, this is Steve, my partner. Steve, this is Ziva. She’s been a Mossad Liaison officer at NCIS for what, five years now?”

               “This is a joke.” Ziva stated, deadpanned.

               “No joke. I’m sorry Ziva, but we are so beyond the point of you being able to change anything about this situtation, it’s absurd. I’m not coming back to NCIS and I’m certainly not going to sleep with you. I am going back to my companions and I’m going to finish up my farewell dinner with the people from NCIS who still matter to me. I wish you every happiness and hope you get everything you want out of life. It’s just not going to have anything to do with me.” He finished calmly, moving forward to press a brief kiss to her cheek before moving back to Steve and walking away with the other man’s hand a comfortable weight on his back.

               He could feel how tense Steve was as they walked away, but wasn’t sure what he should do to reassure him. He settled with stepping slightly closer as they made their way slowly over to the bar to request drinks. As they waited, they stood facing each other and leaning casually against a stretch of the bar. Tony’s eyes scanned Steve’s tight expression. “So, what about that is bothering you? He finally asked when it was clear the silence would continue if allowed.

               “Were you and her ever together?” He asked after a pause.

               “No.” Tony replied immediately. “We.. Flirted, sometimes. But no.” He frowned slightly, a little surprised that that’s what would be disturbing the other man.

               Steve shook his head silently. “What?” Tony asked, honestly a little nervous. They may have fallen back into their comfortable relationship, but they’d historically never been very good at talking it out when something was bugging them. It had been a big contributor in their breakup- neither willing to be the one open up first. It was the first time he’d felt the familiar flash of discomfort that came with these situations since their final breakup and he wondered if they’d fall back into the same patterns, the same pitfalls of avoidance and brushing things off like they didn’t form a pile of crap over time. They’d both matured, but would it be enough for the emotionally stunted men?

               No. He decided then. It wasn’t a question of ‘what’s going to happen?’ It was a matter of taking charge and being the one to break those patterns. This time, he’d take the first step- no matter how uncomfortable pressing Steve to talk about his feelings felt to both of them.

               He took a literal first step then, moving more fully into Steve’s space. The reaction was immediate, his stance widened, body turned more fully to Tony as he opened himself to the others presence. When they were pressed chest to chest, Tony spoke again, quietly and just for them. “You know, if this is going to work, we’re going to have to talk more. It’ll be hard, I know,” He joked softly. “But I’ll try if you do.”

               Steve lowered his head so that his left temple was pressed gently against Tony’s right. A long silence passed and Tony wondered again if it was going to be enough. “It just, it bothers me that some of the people here- or well, the two women I’ve met, seem so willing to steamroll over you. To take liberties. I don’t…” He sighed through his nose. “I don’t know how to explain _why_ I’m pissed. But people shouldn’t be breaking into your apartment, and they shouldn’t be crashing your farewell dinner trying to seduce you into turning down an amazing offer. What I’ve seen, along with the stories I’ve been hearing? I just, I don’t like thinking of you surrounded by these people for so long. You don’t deserve to be treated like this. Any especially for two women who you’ve never been more than friends too. Ziva was acting like a jealous ex back there- that’s some serious audacity for someone whose never had you to begin with.”

               Tony ran a hand, hidden by the bar, up Steves side. “It wasn’t always like this.” Tony replied, a soothing note to his voice. “I was genuinely happy here for a long time. Things just… changed.” They were interrupted when the bartender set their beverages in front of them with a small clatter. Tony pulled back at smiled at the man in thanks. He turned back to Steve. “But none of that matters, does it?” He smiled. “I’m not here anymore.”

               Steve smiled back and darted in for a quick kiss. “No, you’re not.” He said happily. Tony laughed and together they gathered the drinks and moved back to the table.

~*~*~*~

               The next morning involved yet more errands. This time, Steve accompanied him. The last stop might have been the hardest. Being Sunday, he knew exactly where he’d find Gibbs. They pulled to a stop in front of his house and Tony sat behind the wheel for a long moment, gathering his thoughts.

               “Do you want me to come in with you?” Steve asked quietly.

               “Yes.” Tony laughed in a quiet, agitated way. “But no. This one I need to do by myself.” He nodded, steeling himself, and then moved to get out of the car. “I’ll be back in a few.” He said before he closed the door. The walk to the front door seemed to take forever, and the walk down the basement steps longer still. The sound of sanding could be heard as he approached, and he subconsciously lightened his footsteps. He arrived at the bottom, but couldn’t see Gibbs where he was working at.

               “What are you doing here, DiNozzo?” The man’s gruff voice came from behind the boat. 

               “I uh, well. I know you don’t do apologies, but I wanted to anyway. I shouldn’t have gone over your head and quit. I should have come to you, and I’m sorry I didn’t.” It was something that he’d been turning over in his head since about a week after he left. He didn’t regret leaving, not a bit, but he did somewhat regret the way he did it. Despite the man being a total bastard, they’d worked together for a long time, had been through a lot together, and he owed it to Gibbs to come to him first.

               The older man finally appeared from behind the boat at his words. “Yeah, you should have.” He replied, studying Tony. He made his way over to the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of bourbon. He poured a healthy amount into the lone coffee cup on the counter and then poured out a collection of bolts from a small metal cup and added liquor to that one as well. He held it out and Tony took it automatically.

               They both took a drink of the pungent liquid before Gibbs spoke again. “Well since we’re doing this,” He began gruffly. “I’m sorry I didn’t see how bad things were getting. I may have relied too much on you to manage the rest of the team and I didn’t always back you up when I should have.”

               Tony had to repress his shocked expression, not imaging in his wildest dreams that Gibbs would apologize to him. Gibbs turned his head to him and glanced over what he was wearing. “Heading to the airport soon?” He guessed, taking in the comfortable cloths Tony was wearing.

               “Uh, yeah, here in a couple hours. We were just out finishing up some loose ends. We have to be at the dock by two to load my car, but we still have a couple hours for that.” He said, glancing at his watch.

               “We?” Gibbs asked.

               “Uh yeah, Steve is with me. He’s out in the car.”

               “Steve the new partner I’ve been hearing about?”

               Tony frowned. “Hearing about? I’m not sure how you would be.”

               “You’re not my first visitor since you’ve been back in town.” He said simply.

               “Right.” Tony ran a hand through his hair. “But yeah, Steve is my partner.”

               “Why don’t you bring him inside, and we can throw some steaks on the fire for lunch before you go. Bet it’ll be better than the airline food.”

               “I’m sure it would be.” Tony agreed with a small smile. “Are you sure?”

               “Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t, DiNozzo.”

               “Right. Then I’ll be right back?”

               “Go on, I’ll get the steaks out.”

               Tony turned to head back up the stairs. He paused, looking back over his shoulder. “Thanks, Gibbs.” He said quietly.             

               “You don’t work for me anymore, might as well call me Jethro.” He said gruffly, and with that one sentence all of the lingering feelings of resentment, of envy with how the older interacted with his former agent, Stan Burley- it all drained away. And really, he thought, as he headed back up the stairs, they were at in equal position now. They would no longer be under the constraints of supervisor and subordinate, but would be on more equal footing.

~*~*~*~

               Steve had been a little surprised when Tony came to the passenger window and asked him to come in for lunch. He’d followed all the same, body tense and unsure of what to expect. When they entered the living room, Gibbs was already kneeling in front of the fire place, flames flickering away as he fidgeted with it. “You know where the beer is, DiNozzo.” He said without looking at them. Tony glanced at Steve before turning and heading into the kitchen. He grabbed three chilled bottles and made his way back out. Steve had taken a seat on the couch, and he handed him the first bottle as he passed by him to hand the second to Gibbs. He sat down next to his partner as Gibbs moved to take his chair.

               “So,” The older man started after taking a swig. “When Abby called you a bodyguard, I wasn’t expecting a SEAL.” He said casually, taking him in. Steve met his gaze steadily.

               “She’s still on about that?” Tony asked, breaking the stare. “I told her he wasn’t my bodyguard.”

               “Yeah, but you know how she can be. So, how’d you two meet?” He asked.

               Tony and Steve exchanged a look. “Ah, well.” Tony started, somewhat hesitant. “Do you remember me telling you that Senior forgot me in a hotel room one year when we were visiting Hawaii?” He asked.

               “Hard to forget that one.” Gibbs replied, scornful note showing exactly what he thought of Tony’s father.

               “Right, well, he told them to just keep me in the room until he got things figured out, but the hotel didn’t exactly like that. Steve’s dad, John, ended up being the officer that came and got me. He didn’t want me to have to stay at the police station, so he took me home with him. I ended up being at their house for three days before Senior got around to making arrangements for me to fly back to New York. We kept in touch after I left.”

               “Dad was so mad, too.” Steve spoke up, looking at his partner. “He tried to argue that you shouldn’t be released back to your father at all, but his lawyers brushed it everything off. H was pretty upset after he took you to the airport.”

               “Really?” Tony asked surprised.

               “Yeah, he was fuming.”

               “Huh.” He replied. “But anyway, we kept in touch. I went back to visit the summer before my freshman year at Ohio State and we started seeing each other.”

               Gibbs frowned slightly. “But you haven’t been together this whole time.” He said more than asked, familiar with Tony’s stories of one night stands and various women throughout the years.

               “No, uh, well. Steve was deployed when you offered me a job. His first leave after that, we realized we both wanted different things at the time and uh,” He shrugged. “We broke up.”

               Gibbs grunted in understanding as he rose and headed back to the fire. He started the steaks, the flame having had time to rise in temperature. “Deployment can be hard.” He offered gruffly, not looking at them. “Shannon and I almost split because of it at one point.”

               Tony froze, unsure how to respond to the mention of a normally taboo subject. Luckily, Gibbs continued and he didn’t have to try and figure out what to say. “You still enlisted?” He asked Steve, turning to sit on the ledge in front of the fireplace to keep an eye on the meat.

               “Reserves. I run the Governor’s Task Force now.”  Gibbs nodded in understanding.

               “Ahh. He said. “That explains it.”

               “Uh, explains what?” Tony asked.

               “Heard you got caught up in another murder investigation.” The faintest hint of a smirk curled his lips. “If your boy runs the task force, it explains how you two ran into each other again.”

               “It wasn’t my fault.” Tony defended himself against the other mans amusement. “I swear, he _literally_ crashed my morning run. How’d you hear about that anyway?” He asked with what was most definitely not a pout.

               “Oh, Fornell’s pretty upset.” The smirk widened into a grin, and it was obvious just how the man had gotten married so many times. His whole expression changed when he smiled, glacial blue eyes lighting with his mirth. “He was sure you were gonna take him up on his job offer when he heard you left. Went as far as knocking on your door to try and get you to sign paperwork before anyone else could get their claws into you. He showed up here when he realized you weren’t there.”

               Tony let out a laugh of his own. “How’d he find out? Jarvis said he put a lid on it.” 

               “Are you kidding? You know all the agency directors gossip worse than my second ex-wife.” He shook his head in disgust, but the amusement was still there.

               Tony laughed again, more so when he caught Steve’s obvious ‘second ex-wife?’ expression. The conversation lightened from there, and the three men spent the next hour together in comfortable companionship over a delicious steak, fire baked potatoes and cold beer. When it was time to head to the docks, Tony felt almost sad to leave, feeling connected to his mentor in a way he just hadn’t before.

               Still, he was very glad he’d made this stop and felt like he could move forward with one less regret weighing down on him. Gibbs walked them to the door when they had to go, and shook first Steve’s hand and then Tony’s.

               “Thank you.” Tony said a final time, turning to look at the older man as they stood just outside the door. “For everything.” He continued. “Maybe next time you need a vacation you’ll come to Hawaii instead of Mexico. I have a guest room, two, actually.  One’s yours if you ever want it.” He offered freely.

               “I might just take you up on that.” He said in return, small smile back in place. “You boys take care of each other.” He said in farewell, shutting the door when they turned to walk away.

               It was only once both were seated and the car was running that he hesitated. “What’s the matter? Steve asked after a couple of seconds.          

               Tony looked down at the clock. They still had time for one final stop, if they were quick, but he wasn’t sure it would be. “I feel like I should stop and see Abby. I told her I would and it does feel right to leave without talking to her.”

               “Tony.” Steve said seriously, turning to face him. “She broke into your apartment and _hit_ you. You don’t owe her anything. If I didn’t know how much she means to you, I’d have told you to arrest her.”

               “I know.” Tony said softly. “But it’s _Abby_.”

               “Being who she isn’t doesn’t excuse criminal behavior, babe.” When Tony still didn’t look convinced, he continued. “Okay, so say we go see her. How do you see things playing out? Do you think she’ll be rational?” he questioned bluntly.

               Tony flinched slightly, knowing the answer without having to think about it. “Probably not.” He said aloud. “I’ve been gone a month. If she was going to cool down, she’d have done it by now. A day’s not going to change much.”

               “I’m not going to tell you what do do, if you want to go see her we can.” He offered freely.

               Tony thought about it for another long moment. He finally shook his head, eyeing the clock again. “If we go, we’ll probably miss our flight.” Steve mentally questioned the validity of that statement, but didn’t press. Tony put the car in gear and headed to the port. Once the car was loaded securely on the cargo ship, they ducked into the waiting taxi and were on their way to the airport.

~*~*~*~

               Thirty minutes later, Tony was re-thinking his decision of not arresting the goth as airport security approached him from both sides. “What do you mean, I’m on the no-fly list?” Tony demanded, furiously quiet. “I’m a federal agent.”

               “I’m sorry sir, I have to go by what my screen says.” The young woman defended herself.

               “Do not touch me.” Tony ordered with a sharp jab of his hand as the overweight man in a blue uniform attempted to grab his upper arm. “You don’t have the authority to detain me.” He pulled out his phone and dialed with short, sharp jabs.

               “Hello?” The familiar feminine voice answered coyly.  

               “Abigail Sciuto, undo whatever it is you did, or I will arrest you.” He ordered softly, voice still deathly calm.  “This is not funny.”

               “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She denied shamelessly. “Are you on your way? I know your flight leaves soon, and you don’t have much time left for our talk.”

               “Abby.” He growled, glairing as armed police officers entered the atrium. “I’m about to get arrested. You and I both know I’ve done nothing they can hold me on, and when I get out, I swear to god you will take my place in a jail cell. Un-do it. Now.”

               The woman on the other end of the phone sighed petulantly and hung up. Tony turned stiffly back to the receptionist behind the counter. “Reload the page.” He ordered the woman.

               “Sir, I really don’t think-“ She tried to argue.

               “Reload. The. Page.” He said again, and he could feel his pulse throbbing in his neck. He tried to calm himself down, knowing the woman was doing her job and that it wasn’t fair to take out his frustration of her, but he really wished she’d just do what he was telling her to do. “Please.” He added stiffly.

               The woman looked away and back down at the screen. She clicked a few buttons and then blinked in shock. Her brows furrowed and she hit a few more keys. “You’re right, sir.” She finally stuttered after another long few seconds. “You’re no longer on the list.” She looked up at the police officers helplessly, and Tony felt a flash of sympathy for the girl. “Your flight is departing from gate C26. It will be down the hall to your right. Please have a pleasant flight, and thank you for flying United Airlines.” She finished feebly.

               Tony nodded severely, once. He turned and headed down the hall. Steve followed quickly behind him, his own cell clenched tightly in hand- though, who he thought he’d call that could help him _here_ , Tony wasn’t sure.

               His phone chimed in his hand a second later, and he glanced down automatically. The words ‘Well? Are you coming?’ Glowed up at him and he had to repress the urge to chuck the think in a garbage bin they happened to be passing. Instead he tore the cover off and popped out the battery without hesitation.

               Steve didn’t comment but Tony eventually spoke up anyway, as they neared their gate. “You were right.” He admitted suddenly as they headed to an empty patch of chairs to wait. “Going to see her wouldn’t have helped anything. She’s not behaving rationally.” He said softly as they sat.

               Steve smiled at him, somewhat sympathetically. “Maybe next time you visit, she’ll be level headed enough to have an actual conversation with you.” He offered in response.

               “Yeah, maybe.” He agreed. And even though he was leaving the mainland, still on rocky ground with the majority of his former coworkers, Tony felt excitement at returning to the island. He was looking forward to returning to his new home, to the sunshine and the warmth, and waking up the sparkling ocean dancing in the distance.

               And despite some loose ends, he’d managed to solidify his relationship with two people who were still important to him- Ducky and Gibbs. He may have lost Abby, Ziva, and Tim for the time being, but a lot of that discomfort had faded when he realized he still held the esteem of two people whose opinions mattered most to him.

               Knowing that, with Steve by his side and a whole new future to discover, Tony smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, and once again I have been blown away by the continued positive response to this series. Your comments are like fuel to my creative fire, and I don’t think I’ve ever written this many words in such a short time! ~*Over 26,000 words in eleven days*~ I hope this installment met all of your expectations. Once again, it is not beta’d and so I hope you’ll forgive any mistakes you might find. Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!


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